The present invention relates to an arrangement of operating controls of vehicle components, and, more particularly, to an arrangement which ensures simplest possible operation of the vehicle components.
A known arrangement of operating controls of vehicle components is disclosed in the above cross-referenced U.S. patent application. In that arrangement, when several vehicle components are operated, the corresponding vehicle components are shown on a display. The vehicle components are then operated by a remote control into which the keyboard is integrated. The corresponding vehicle component is selected by pressing one of the vehicle component selection keys on the keyboard. Together with this selection of a vehicle component, a symbolic representation of the corresponding vehicle component is output on the display. This symbolic representation includes an allocation of vehicle component-specific adjustment possibilities to particular keys of the keyboard. In this arrangement, common adjustment possibilities of the vehicle components are indicated at the same position on the screen in each case in the same form of representation in each case. In this arrangement, keys are provided which perform a constant function.
British Patent Specification 1,187,985 describes an arrangement with corresponding scale divisions for switches arranged in a row, in the immediate vicinity of the switches, in dependence on functions allocated to the switches. The indication of different scale divisions is displayed in that the respective scale divisions are rendered visible by direct manual intervention by the user.
Furthermore, DE 37 36 116 C2 describes the arrangement of a switching element and a light-emitting element in immediate spatial relation with one another. In this arrangement, any information is applied to the light-emitting elements belonging to the individual switches which is displayed in a constant or invariable manner.
A resulting disadvantage of the known arrangements is that there is no adaptation of the display to the relevant vehicle component.
It is an object of the present invention to arrange operating controls of vehicle components such that the simplest possible operation of the vehicle components is ensured with adaptation of the display to the relevant component.
This object has been achieved in an arrangement of operating controls of vehicle components in accordance with the present invention by mounting the operating controls of the functions to be adjusted at the location of the display at which the symbolic representation of the function to be adjusted appears on the display. The operating controls at least partially consist of operating parts and viewing windows. When one of the operating parts is operated, feedback for the response of the switch of the function to be adjusted is given for the user. The function to be adjusted by the respective operating part is visible through a viewing window.
According to another feature of the present invention, the keyboard containing the operating controls of vehicle components is integrated into the display. The display is mounted in a particularly advantageous manner in the front area of the center console in a passenger vehicle. On this display, the functions of the vehicle components to be adjusted are preferably displayed at the edge. The switches or controllers, preferably sliding controllers, are mounted on the surface of the display in immediate spatial vicinity of these functions of the vehicle components to be adjusted. This mounting is effected in such a manner that when these switches and controllers are operated, a response can be distinctly sensed by the user.